Telephone



(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. WEST.

TELEPHONE.

No. 300,422. Patented June 17, 1884.

ibihelim (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

W A. WEST.

TELEPHONE.

No. 300,422. Patented June 17, 1884.

line

(No Model.) W A WEST 3 SheetsSheet 3.

. TELEPHONE.

No. 300,422. Patented June 17, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

WILLIAM A. VEST, OF BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO.

TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,422, dated June 17,188%.

Application filed July SL5, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it 777,011 concern Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM A. WEST, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bellefontaine, Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephones, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists in a telephonic apparatus which may be used asatransmitter, as

a receiver, or as areenforcing device, which may be placed at pointsalong the line and add fresh strength to the weakening current.

It consists'of improvements in reaction telephones,which consist,ingeneral,ofapolarized electro-magnet and an induction-coil, the main linepassing through said'magnet and the secondary of said induction-coil,and a local circuit passing through the primary of the induction-coiland over a microphonic contact controlled by the electro-magnet. Avibrating diaphragm is usually added to the electromagnet whenthe'device is used as a transmittcr or receiver. By this arrangementwhenever an electric current is set up on the main line, either in theprocess of transmitting or receiving, the electro-magnet becomes active,

actuates the microphonic contact in the local circuit, and producesthereby a variation of current therein, which variation, by means of theinduction-coil, sets up an additional current in the main line, and thisadditional current will be practically coincident with the originalimpulse. As this additional current energizes the electro-magnet stillmore, an accumulative or reactionary process ensues, the originalimpulse always tending to intensify itself. The best form of myinvention which I have yet devised is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 is afront elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectionon line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the electro-magnct and itsarmature. Fig. 4 is a modified form of the device as a relay, and Fig. 5is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the electro-magnet and itsadjuncts.

tact therewith. Needle 4 passes down through a longitudinal perforationin steel core 3, and is rigidly attached to lower armature, 5,which issupported by a conical float, 12,in a mercurycup, 8. The weight of thefloat 12 is adjusta- I v ble by small balls 13, and the mercury-cup 8 isitself vertically adjustable by screw 9,working in bracket 10. By thisarrangement a very delicate adjustment may be had, and armature 5 verynicelybalanced between gravity acting in one direction and the upwardpressure of the mercury added to the attraction of polarized core 3acting in the opposite direction.

Instead of the mercury-float a spring may be used, as in Fig. 4, andwill necessarily be used when the magnet is placed in other than avertical position. By the opposing pressure of spring 7 and mercury 11and the conjoint action of the two armatures at the opposite ends of themagnet a very strong yet very delicate microphonic action is insuredbetween needle 4 and armature 6, and a corresponding variation in thelocal circuit. When used as a transmitter or receiver, the diaphragm 18andtrumpet 19 are employed, although Ihave distinctly transmitted speechwith the diskarmatures alone. Thediaphragm 18 is placed at any suitabledistance from the core 3.

The circuits described above maybe followed in Figs. 1 and 5, theline'circuit 17 going to secondary of induction-coil 14c, thence by 17,magnet-coil 2, and by 17 to line, while the local circuit goes frombattery 15 by line 16 to bracket 10, to arm 9, mercury 11, needle 4,microphonic contact, and by armature 6 and spring 7 to line 16, thenceto primary of induction-coild/i, and back to battery by line 16".

As a transmitter the device acts both magneto-electrically andelectrically or microphonically, for, in thefirst place, the vibrationsof iron diaphragm 18 disturb the magnetic condition of steel core 3 andinduce undulating electrical impulses in surrounding coil in main line,while in the second place the vibrations of the diaphragm act on themicrophonic contact and vary thereby the current of the local circuit,which current variations act through the induction-coil to set upcorresponding variations in the main line. These two sources of variablecurrent in the main line are practically coincident in action, and thecurrent thus set up reacts through magnet 2 to still further increasethe intensity of its source. As a receiver the variable line-currentthrough magnet 2 acts directly on diaphragm 18 to produce sound-waves,and at the same time to produce a corresponding microphonic action inthe local circuit, which reacts accumulatively to intensify itself. Asan intermediate re-enforcing device the action is the same as when usedas a receiver, except that no diaphragm is necessary to reproducesound-waves. The reactionary microphonio effect of the original currentcauses fresh strength to be added to its own impulses. Agood form of thedevice for this purpose is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the arrangement ofFig. 2 is simply duplicated,

a spring, 8, being used in place of the mercury-cup; The two magnets 2 2are placed end to end, their two armatures, 5 5, rigidly attached todiamagnetic needles 4 4L and supported by the spring 8,fastened to thebase at 9. The two armatures 6 6 are supported by springs 7 '7 and havemicrophonic contact with needlesi i. The circuits are the same as abovedescribed, the two microphonie contacts being in series in the localcircuit and the two magnets 2 2 are in series in the main circuit. Thereis in this arrangement the power 0T four armatures,instead of two,acting 011 two contacts instead of one, and a corresponding increase ofvariable intensity.

In an application filed by me November 12, 1883, I lay claim, broadly,to a relay or reactionary re-enforcing device, such as is herein shown,and also to the diaphragm combined with two armatures and a microphoniccontact controlled jointly thereby, and I therefor do not claim such inthis case.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a main and a local circuit, a number ofelectro-magnets in series in the main circuit, a number of sets ofmicrophonic contacts in series in the local circuit, means forsimultaneously actuating the contacts by the action of theelectro-magnets, and an induction apparatus having the primary in saidlocal and the secondary in said main cir-. cuit.

2. The combinationv of an electro-magnet having a perforated core andplaced vertically, an armature at each end thereof, a diamagnetic needlepassing through said core and rigidly connected to one armature whilemaking a microphonic contact with the other armature, a mercury-floatforming an elastic support for one armature, an induction-coil and amain and a local circuit, the former including the electro-magnet andthe secondary of the induction-coil, the latter including the localbattery, microphonic contact, and primary of the induction-coi1.

3. The combination of an electro-magnet having a perforated core andplaced vertically, a horizontal diaphragm therefor, two armatures forsaid magnet, a diamagnetic needle passing through said core and rigidlyconnected to one armature while making a microphonic contact with theother armature, and a float in mercury forming an elastic support forone armature.

4. The combination of an electro-magnet having a perforated core andplaced vertically, an armature at each end thereof, a diamagnetic needlepassing through said core and rigidly connected to one armature whilemaking a microphonic contact with the other armature, and a float inmercury forming an elastic support for one armature.

' V. A. WEST.

WVitnesses:

OOTAVIUS KNIGHT, HARRY E. KNIGHT.

